Masaki Family Secrets
by Daferge
Summary: Behind every "Story" there are Secrets... Here are a few things you didn't get to see in the original story... Here's a new chapter with more secrets... Enjoy...
1. Chapter 1

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Author: Daferge...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer:**

**Tenchi Muyo! is copyright by AIC/Pioneer Ltd...**

**Characters are property of their original owners... **

**All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . **

**( note... )**

**It is said that all stories have a beginning, a middle and an end...**

**And that even when you get to the end, there's a whole new beginning, waiting...**

**So, shall we go to our beginning and see how it all began?...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Chapter 01... The Beginning...**

**( Some where... ) **

In a darkened room, a figure sat on a floating cushion, looking at the screen before them...

On the screen, showing a hillside overlooking the Prefecture of Okayama (Japan) landscape, an elderly male in priest robes stood, looking down at the new head stone in the family plot...

Much had happen in the past few years, but this was some thing that he had not foreseen...

The new stone before him read, '**Masaki Tenchi, Beloved Son and Grandson**'...

The male, Katsuhito Masaki, a priest at the nearby Shinto shrine, was also a grandfather and this was his only male heir...

Sighing softly he softly clapped his hands...

After saying a short prayer, he turned and headed back to the shrine and his duties...

It had not been easy passing word of this to other family members, for most of them live a great distance away...

He hadn't heard back, yet, but he knew that there would be some that would taken the news harder than others...

But for some reason he thought he could hear some one giggle softly...

Smiling, he mumbled one word...

" **Washu!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The red-headed figure smiled too, for she owed this priest a great deal...

If every thing went as planned, she would have managed to repay some of it...

Thousands of years before, she had been a professor at the Galaxy Science Academy, doing all kinds of experiments and research...

But, although she was the greatest scientific genius in the universe, her people skills left much to be decided...

After the loss of not only her husband, but her only child, to his high classed family, she'd decided to create a child on her own, one in **HER** image, that **NO ONE** could take away from her again...

She got backing from the Juraian Military by telling them she was trying to create a **SUPER SOLDIER**, as they were at odds with a number of other Galaxy powers at that time, her husband's home world being one of them...

Of course, in the end, she would have to apologize, for even a great geniuses were known to fail...

But she would have her child, a daughter this time, to help her in her lab and with her research...

And so she had started, taking one of her eggs and combining it with cells from a power creature called the masu, she grew her 'child' in a test tube, a **LARGE** test tube, with the help of her two assistants, Kagato and Yakage...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

While stimulating Ryoko's growth as much as possible, Washu also created a female companion for her, that she called _**Ryo-Ohki**_, a cross between a small creature and a star-ship...

However, after creating a second male Cabbit _**Ken-Ohki**_ ( for the female _**Ryo-Ohki **_) and while Yakage was away on personal business, kagato managed to sedate a tired Washu and imprison her aboard his secret ship, the _**Soja**_...

Law enforcement were closing in on him for his criminal activities, drug dealing, arms sales, etc, for funds he used to build the _**Soja**_ and other devices...

He had been using Professor Washu's private files to develop new drugs, as well as weapons...

He also sold minor weapons ( ones better than what was available at the time ) and made lots of money, but had kept the really advanced ones for the _**Soja**_...

He also stolen the container the child was in and even little _**Ryo-Ohki,**_ whom he implanted a control device in...

Having access to Washu's research, he was well aware of the mental connection she would have with the child and decided to use it against her...

He placed her within a giant crystal created of a very special mineral that was able to increase the connection between the two...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

At first it was nothing, **BUT**, after the child was full grown and removed from the tube, Kagato embedded the three unusual power gems as Washu had originally included for the project...

Without the gems, Ryoko would have still been a powerful 'solder', but **NOT** the 'super' solder that she'd promised...

" **Oh, well... Maybe next Time!... **"

Or so Washu had planned to say...

However Kagato had other ideas...

Kagato had come to the conclusion that **Fear** and **Terror **were the quicker way towards his goals...

And by embedding the gems, Kagato accomplished a number of things, the first being that **HE** would be the one with a 'super' soldier/slave...

For he had managed to modify the three special gems, so he was able to mentally take over her body and force her to do his bidding, if she refused to do what he wanted...

To make it worst, Ryoko could see every thing she was being forced to do, completely helpless, unable to do any thing...

Although Washu was encased in the huge crystal, she was still able to sensed Ryoko's pain and agony, no matter how far away they were from each other...

And Kagato took great delight in the destruction and carnage he caused, for it was the space pirate Ryoko who would take the blame...

And so for several thousand years, Kagato tortured them both...

It was enough to drive even a goddess insane...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And then 700 years ago, suddenly some thing happened, the pain and terror disappeared, peace and calmness took it's place...

Then, through the decades and then centuries, Washu discovered that, like herself, Ryoko was now 'sleeping'...

Some one, had managed to defeat her and had put her into a status chamber of some sort...

As she studied these feeling, the only data her was getting, she began to come to a number of conclusions...

The first was that the person responsible must be a caring person, for they had not just sealed Ryoko away ( as they could have ), they had taken great care that not only was her body slowly healing, but that her spirit was too...

Then there was the 'freedom' she had, she had the ability to leave her body and move short distances from it...

To Washu, this hinted that this might not be a permanent situation...

She had enjoyed the feelings Ryoko had when she finally managed to go 'outside'...

The odd sensation Ryoko got, from sitting on a rock, at the mouth of a cave, looking out across a valley filled with trees...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was as if she too was there, instead of trapped deep within the _**Soja**_ by Kagato...

It helped her retain her ability to resist Kagato's attempts to access **HER** mind...

For she still had much knowledge and power that he wanted, that he needed...

Ryoko's success during her attack on Jurai had proved that the gems had power similar to, if not greater than, the power possessed by the Juraia Royal family and their trees...

It had been one of his main reasons for keeping her around, like a trophy, instead of dropping her into a black hole or a giant star...

So as he got more and more powerful, he was so sure that she was getting weaker and weaker...

And Kagato wanted **THAT** power...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

In the years before Ryoko's release and her own, Washu sensed some thing, some thing different, yet familiar...

A young mother and child would pass the cave entrance on their way to the shrine...

One day Ryoko realized that the child could see her, see her standing there and it smiled at her...

No one had ever smiled at her before and she was startled...

So, the next time she saw the baby, she smiled and waved at him...

And he giggled and waved back...

She felt strange...

Very strange...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As the years passed, Ryoko spent as much time as she could, out side waiting...

Waiting for the young mother and her child...

When next she saw him, he was older and walking on his own...

As they approached, it was as if the little boy couldn't see her any more...

They approached and passed, without even looking her way...

But at they walked away, she saw the boy smile and wave at her with his free hand...

Ryoko had that strange feeling again, she would later learn that it was happiness...

But soon she would feel other things too...

Like sorrow...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Not long after, when the white stuff covered the ground and you could see your breath, Ryoko heard a sound...

A sound coming from the mouth of the cave...

When Ryoko got to the mouth, she was surprised to find the young boy there, kneeling against her rock on the cold ground, crying...

She would later learn that the the young woman, his mother, had died...

Kneeling down next to him, she put her arm around him, to protect him from the cold and began to gently stroke his hair...

Though she was like a ghost and she couldn't actually feel him, she was still able to radiate enough heat to keep him warm...

He slowly stopped crying and then fell asleep in her warm embrace...

When the searchers found him, he was resting against the rock, a dry circle surrounded him...

At the same time Washu had felt some thing she hadn't felt in a long time...

Not since her husband and child had left...

Love...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Several days earlier... )**

Washu was watching some one else, a young boy, sitting alone on the house's wooden pier...

She had been there when a very upset princess Ayeka had lost her temper and thrown Ryoko across the room, then shouted all kinds of things at Ryoko...

She could only watch, with the rest, as Ryoko and _**Ryo-Ohki**_ had flown off, into the sky without a word...

She had been able to said good-bye to the Juraian princesses when their father, the Emperor **ORDERED** them home and sent a task force to escort them...

She had even managed not to express relief when the GP officer, Mihoshi ( who tended to wreak havoc on her precious test instruments ) took her leave soon after...

But the whole time she felt that some thing wasn't right...

So, after going through **ALL** the data from the past couple days, she come to an unusual conclusion...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

So it was that she made her way out to the pier and stood behind Tenchi for a moment, trying to form her words...

When she spoke, it was soft and gently...

" **Tenchi?...** "

It took a while before he managed to turn, to see who it was, tears in his eyes...

" **Washu?... **"

Holding out her hand, she spoke softly...

" **Please, come with me...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Back in her Lab... )**

Looking at Tenchi sitting there, she knew she had decided right...

He hadn't even resisted as she had led him into the house and then into her lab, so he really was depressed...

She tapped her desk to get his attention, before beginning...

She spoke softly...

" **This family ihas become broken and it needs to be put back together!...** "

Once she knew he was paying attention, she continued...

She started by mentioning that just before the fight, officer Mihoshi had detected, a fair size rock that was approaching the planet...

Since the planet's primitive, but effective near-space detection system had failed to spot it, She had checked it out...

Checking it's possible flight plans, she discover that there was a slim chance that it could enter the planet's atmosphere and impact near the island of Japan...

Though there was a good chance that it would break up upon entry, Mihoshi didn't want to take the chance and had taken it upon her self to destroy it, without permission...

Not wanting to worry the family, she hadn't mentioned it to any one...

However, Washu's sensors had detected the rock's destruction and she managed to get Mihoshi to tell her about it...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

To Washu, there was some thing that didn't add up...

With this planet's near-space detection system, the GP's surveillance satellite, as well as her own network, even a rock that size shouldn't have gotten that close to the planet without being detected or at-least being noticed...

It was only because Mihoshi had altered her normal patrol route that the rock had been detected at all...

Using Mihoshi's ship, Washu was able to find and collect a good bit of the rock that hadn't been destroyed by Mihoshi or dropped into the atmosphere and burned up...

Her detailed study of those fragment proved most informative...

First, the chemical composition of the rock confirmed Washu's suspicions...

It's dense mass not only suggested that it wasn't from this system, but that it would have survived entry into the planet's atmosphere and although small, it's mass would have caused great destruction...

Second, by scanning the fragment in greater detail, Washu discovered indications of man-made compounds, especially some used only in the making of sub-light propulsion units...

There were also compounds used only in short range communication devices...

The final clue was a fragment of crystal, of the type used in artificial Intelligence computer systems...

It contained a set of coordinates on the planet, a point not far from the Masaki shrine...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

There was no doubt in Washu's mind...

The rock had been an attempt on the Masaki family, especially on Ayeka and Sasami's lives...

And it didn't even have to have been a direct hit, the kinetic energy from the rock mass would have been destructive for hundreds of kilometers in all directions...

It had been just by chance that she set up a shield over the house, a week before...

Nothing short of a direct hit would have effected them...

But she didn't want to think about the collateral damage...

Washu didn't even want to think about how many innocent people would have been killed by the blast alone...

Millions...

Maybe tens of millions...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After a short pause, she continued...

For as long as there had been governments, there had been people plotting to over throw them, for better or for worst...

The Juraian government was no different and for a race with such long lifes, plotting ways to get power and keep it was common place...

This would be Tenchi's introduction into galaxy politics, where losing could not only cost you any power you might have, it could cost you your life too...

Only now there was a wild card in the mix, a card called, **Washu**...

After doing crash research, Washu had sources Jurau and the Galaxy Police didn't, she discovered traces, hints really, of a plot to over thrown Emperor Azusa and to yake control of the Juraian Empire...

A plot hundreds of years in the planning and in the executing...

A very careful plot...

A very ruthless plot...

A plot that had seem to have contacts every where, including Galaxy Police Headquarters, as well as within the walls of the Juraian Palace it's self...

And she had a plan to expose the plotters and get the family, her family, back together...

The problem was that she needed Tenchi to do some thing for her...

She need Tenchi to - **DIE**...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

A hand came to rest on Washu's shoulder, returning her to the present...

She looked up into Tenchi eyes and saw the sadness there...

He had done as she asked, because he trusted her and now, to the Galaxy, he was **DEAD!**...

He knew what he had to do it, but he didn't like having to deceive those he loved...

He especially didn't like causing them such pain...

They both watched as his grandfather left the family plot, heading down the path, back to the shrine...

After he was gone Washu smiled...

_**It's time to make another move...**_

Taking Tenchi's hand, they made eye contact...

She gave him one of her very mischievous smiles...

" **I think it's about time for us to shake things up, some more...** "

Tilting her head slightly, her smile brightened...

" **How would you like to see one of the family again?... **"

One of Tenchi's eyebrows went up, she was only letting him know what he needed to know, **JUST** before he had to do it...

" **Let's go pick up Mihoshi and then we can see if Sasami is doing any thing...** "

Getting up she started to walk toward the shadows surrounding her work station, stopping at the edge of the light...

The shadows hid her smile...

" **By the way... Do you happen to speak like a pirate?...** "

Tenchi started to say some thing, but when he heard Washu chuckle, he just sighed, shook his head and followed her into the darkness...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After they were gone, a figure stepped out of the shadows...

A beautiful female with long bluish hair and a sad smile...

Tsunami smiled in the direction the other two had gone...

" **Your adventure has just begun, Crown Prince Tenchi Masaki...** "

A tear came to her eye...

" **And you're going to have a truly wonderful family there with you, every step of the way...** "

At that she began to fade out...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Author: Daferge**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright of AIC/Pioneer Ltd.**

**All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 02... Abduction part 01...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Sub-space near Galaxy Police headquarters... ) **

Due to the work that the Galaxy Police did, as well as it's importance, a restrictive zone had been established around the huge space station(platform)...

In fact, it was almost an artificial world, located in an uninhabited section of space in a centrally located section of the galaxy...

It was several times larger than it's original station and indeed was far from where it had originally been built...

As the inhabited Galaxy had expanded in the past several thousand years, it's Headquarters had been moved to keep it centrally located...

It had been at it's present location only a few hundred years...

Not because inhabited space hadn't expanded, but because modes of transportation had advance to the point of making the need to move unnecessary...

Thus the restricted sphere around it was watched by the most advanced scanners and defended by the most powerful weapons available...

Only the Juraian Empire and the Airaian Kingdom had more powerful weaponry and they both maintained close relations with the GP...

The only place said to have better security would be the Juraian home world, greatly improved since the Space Pirate Ryoko carved a trail of destruction through their defenses 700 years before...

It was said that an ion particle couldn't come near the headquarters without being detected and any one foolish enough to try, would likely end up as ion particle them selves...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Thus, the Grand Marshal of the GP had decided that this was the best place for the patrol ship, the _**Yukinojo**_ and it's pilot..

The _**Yukinojo**_ was an experimental craft that was the most advanced to come off the GP drawing boards in several centuries...

Outfitted with the latest shielding available, it also was armed with new experimental weapons that gave it the firepower of larger capital ships...

Weapons capable of destroying a small planet if it fell into the wrong hands, operated by an artificial intelligence computer that was self aware, in other-words, able to think for it's self...

But that had been a major requirement, for the system to survive working with it's unusual pilot...

Detective First-Class Kuramitsu Mihoshi, was a very unusual person indeed...

Young, attractive, with a sweet and shy personality, she should have been surrounded by lots of friends and a horde of males...

**HOWEVER**, she also had the worst '**LUCK**' of any one within the GP, perhaps within the entire Galaxy...

Things often happened when she was around, people around her had accidents and electrical equipment, burned out or exploded...

Not ALL the time, just enough to catch people's attention...

A number of years before, her only partner had gone MIA and since then no one wanted to partner up with her...

In fact, many people thought the only thing keeping her in the GP was her connection with the Grand marshal, her grandfather...

However, all that seem to change recently...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

While out on patrol, in a quiet backwater section of space, on the very edge of explored space, something had happen...

Unknown to most people ( only the highest officials with TOP - TOP SECRET clearance ) officer Mihoshi had come into contact with a group of people who would greatly effect the Galaxy's future...

They started off by, with her help, removing the Galaxy plague known as Kagato as a threat to galaxy peace...

Unknown to the Galaxy, she had made contact with one Tenchi Masaki, a shy young boy who happen to be, he had recently discovered, a prince of the might Juraian Empire and as such next in line to be Emperor...

Also present were the two missing princesses of that same Empire as well as the most wanted criminal, next to Kagato, the demon space pirate Ryoko...

Throw in a 'Mad scientist', who had been missing for several thousand years, who was know for creating weapons capable of destroying the Galaxy and you had a real security problem...

Oddly, instead of creating trouble ( major trouble ), Mihoshi seem to get alone with the group ( family ) and had been assigned to patrol the sector their planetbwas in, watching, reporting ( directly to the Grand Marshal ) and keeping the rest of the galaxy safe...

An excellent situation for all, until a short time ago...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

But Galaxy event tend to effect every thing, given time , even this unusual group, causing it's breakup and ending with the death of the boy, prince Tenchi...

Upon receiving news of his death, Mihoshi, awaiting reassignment at GP headquarters, went into a daze-like state that only work, aboard the _**Yukinojo,** _brought her out of...

Thus, for her protection (and to a degree, the galaxy's ), she had been assignned to patrol the zone around GP headquarters...

It was her AI and protector, _**Yukinojo**_ who drew her attention to the controls and away from the small picture she had been staring at for the past hour...

A picture, taken before the breakup, of her, smiling, her head resting on the shoulder of a dark haired young male who seem to be a bit nervous...

( THAT was because Washu was having trouble restraining both Ayeka and Ryoko, while she took a picture of Mihoshi and her good friend, Tenchi Masaki... Sasami was trying not to laugh, while Tenchi's father and grandfather weren't even trying... )

It had been a gift to Mihoshi for her help when they had defeated Kagato...

Now it was her most cherished possession, all she had from that wonderful time...

_**If only it could have continued...**_

Another tear ran down her cheek...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( In Sub-space... )**

A figure sat in a large command chair, looking at the screen floating in the air before him and the very familiar craft that was on it...

Dressed in a hooded cloak, their face was hidden in it's shadows, an effect that was desired...

They sighed...

Chuckling drew their attention to a female figure, dressed in a tight, black jumpsuit that matched the color of her long black hair...

A smile, hidden by a veil, appeared on Washu's lips as she watched Tenchi's jaw dropped...

_**Yea, I've still got it...**_

Coming closer, she reached into the hood and gentled used a finger to lift his jaw...

She considered seeing what reaction she'd get from Tenchi's father, at a later date...

She turned to look at the screen...

" **Don't worry... You'll be seeing her in a bit... Have you gotten your accent down?... **"

Tenchi sighed, spending hours watching old earth pirate movies had kept him from worrying about things and it had provided Washu with hours of laughter...

It seem that Earth's Water pirates weren't much different than the average Space pirates, they just had a better vocabulary...

" **Avast, ye scurvy bilge-rats... Swab the deck... Er, there be no grog for ye... **"

Washu managed not to laugh, however, she did manage to give him a thumbs up, a gesture she had picked up...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

On the screen the _**Yukinojo**_ was approaching a space ship that had appeared in the protected zone, dropping out of sub-space without warning...

A space pirate ship, drifting...

Just as Washu had planned it, as bait...

"**Unidentified craft... This is Detective First-Class Kuramitsu Mihoshi... You have entered a GP restricted area... Identify yourself!** "...

There was no reply...

They watched as the _**Yukinojo**_ got closer before Washu made contact and after a while, Mihoshi appeared on the screen, _**Yukinojo**_ talking in the back ground...

"**Mihoshi!... I can not detect the source of this message... Scans show no other crafts within range... I have informed HQ, and backup is on it's way... **"

Mihoshi just stared at the screen, where a clocked figure sat in a command chair and a strange female was sitting on the chair's armrest, her hand resting on the clocked figure's shoulder...

For some reason, a sort of calm came over her, for the first time since news of Tenchi and she didn't know why...

So it took her a moment to respond to what he'd just said...

"**Hum?...**"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Tenchi almost missed his cue, until Washu tapped his shoulder, hard...

"**Err... Be ye de law?**"

Mihoshi just stared at her screen as she nodded her head...

Washu couldn't help chuckling, that was the same look Ayeka and Ryoko got when they were alone with Tenchi...

Some thing told her that life around the Masaki house was going to be quite different once this was all over...

She pressed the button on the small pad in her hand and activated the transporter...

On the screen Mihoshi suddenly began to shimmer and then suddenly vanished from the _**Yukinojo's**_ Bridge...

As the screen closed a high pitched voice filled the air...

"**Mihoshi!... MIHOSHI!... MI...HO...SHI!...**"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Mihoshi now found herself standing on the bridge that had been on her screen just a moment before and she reached for her gun, only to find it was gone...

Looking up she discovered that the female figure now held it in her hand and she froze...

It was beginning to look like this was the end of her career, perhaps it was better this way...

As the female started to stand, the other figure took their arm and stopped her...

Rising, the strange figure slowly approached Mihoshi and she closed her eyes, ready for any thing...

What she was not ready for was the soft fingers which stroked her cheek, catching her tears...

And then there was the soft sweet voice, inches from her ear...

" **Live, Mihoshi... LIVE!...** "

And she felt soft lips plant a kiss on her trembling cheek...

Her eyes shot open, only to slowly glaze over and close again...

A very deep sigh escaped her lips as a very big smile appeared on her face and she fainted...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Washu stood over the smiling Mihoshi, Tenchi, his hood pushed back, on the other side...

" **Got to admit I didn't see that one coming... **"

Seeing Tenchi about to say some thing, she continued, holding up her hand, the one with Mihoshi's gun in it...

" **Not a word... Not... A... Word...** "

Tenchi smiled and didn't say any thing...

Kneeling down, Tenchi managed to carefully pick Mihoshi up...

It seem that all that working in the field and practicing with his grandfather was beginning to pay off...

As he carried her to the room that Washu had fixed for her, Washu smiled...

Tenchi was beginning to get past his shyness...

Recent events were showing him where his heart was and that he'd better start doing some thing before he lost it all, forever...

Her little guinea pig was growing up, he was maturing and she was so proud of him...

Who knew what the next couple of hundred, maybe several thousand years would bring...

She smiled, she had the time...

She began to chuckle...

_**All the time in the Galaxy...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Characters are property of their original owners... All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 03... Time and Masakis...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Masaki living room... ) **

The family was gathered in the living room to watch TV in the late evening...

Tenchi was on the couch, Ayeka on one side, Ryoko on the other, Mihosho sitting on the floor, her head in his lap, as usual...

At the moment, all three were asleep...

Washu sat in his usual chair, gently rocking the family's treasure, Tenchi's baby daughter, Mayuka in her arms...

The two Kiyones were some where in space, patrolling the solar system...

Sasami was in the kitchen, showing Nagi a new dish that she had seen a few days before, Ryo-Ohki on her shoulder...

Before leaving, Tenchi's father had mentioned that he would be working late at the office, having to finish up a project for a client and would, in all likely-hood, be late...

Washu had offered to come get him if he'd let them know he was finished...

He had smiled and said he have to see how things went first...

He'd hate to come all the way home only to have to go back due to some minor detail, as had usually happened in the past...

As he was about to leave, Washu whispered something in his ear that caused him to smile and his face to turn reddish for a moment...

Briefcase in one hand, he had squeezed Washu's hand with the other, before leaving..

**. . . . . . . . . .**

While the day had been quiet, the girls had gone about their chores and Tenchi had worked in the fields, with little Ryo-Ohki's help...

Washu had noted that Tenchi seem to have some thing on his mind, off and on...

As they sat in the living room, she noted that his gaze seem to wander, not watching the TV at all...

She had caught him looking her way, every once and awhile, when he thought she wasn't watching...

Using the special com unit they all had, she spoke to him mentally, tuning it so the others wouldn't hear...

_**You have a question?.. Tenchi?...**_

She smiled as his only reaction to her catching him was a raised eyebrow...

_**Does it show that much?... **_

He sighed softly and tried not to move, disturbing his sleeping wives, as she replied...

_**Only to those of us who have spent a great deal of time observing others reactions and such...**_

She saw his eyes close and heard him mentally sigh...

_**Yes... Time!... What exactly is it?...**_

She saw his eyes wander to the two females resting their heads on his shoulders, a touch of sadness then appeared on his face...

She had been expecting this and smiled...

_**Sisters!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some where in the universe... )**

An attractive female was standing on a hill, over looking a small valley, as above the planet's star began to disappear behind the planet's largest moon...

This would cause a halo to form around the moon, like on other planets around the galaxy...

However this eclipse would be different...

Mostly due the thick layer of gases that now made up the "atmosphere" on that moon...

Having been created by the over mining of the moon by the planet's inhabitants over the centuries, the toxic gas now prevented any one from even landing on it...

But when an eclipse happen, the star's light, passing through the gas, created a rainbow of colors not seen any where else in the known galaxy...

Or so Tokimi had heard her niece, Ryoko, tell Tenchi and the others one evening at dinner...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Below were a large number of people who had come from distant planets and paid lots of money, just to see this rare event...

She had though it silly, until now...

As the halo formed, a vast array of colors formed and reformed causing a breath taking display...

( She heard the people below gasp and sigh... )

She had to admit that for an unplanned event, caused by a number of random events over hundreds of years, it did tend to catch the eye...

She wondered what her older sister, Washu would do if she had come?...

A touch of a smile caught the corner of her lips...

She'd probably turn it into a long drawn out research project!...

Her eyes were drawn back to the light show above her...

As the eclipse was beginning to end, she sensed something...

_**Sisters!...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( In the kitchen... )**

Sasami was watching Nagi prepare the new dish when she sensed something...

She had felt this way many times before...

It seem that Tsunami had some thing important to take care of...

But this time a voice spoke to her...

_**Don't worry, little one... This should only take a moment...**_

Sasami wondered what was going on, but smiled...

When Tsunami returned, she would find out...

She turned her attention back to Nagi and smiled...

Her star student was doing much better, perhaps she would let her fix dinner for every body one night...

She then heard Nagi mumble something as she mixed in a touch too much of one of the ingredients into the mix...

Sasami smiled, it wouldn't effect the final mix...

But it seem THAT dinner wasn't going to be in the too near future...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The living room... )**

Washu smiled at Tenchi as she snapped her fingers...

At first Tenchi didn't notice any thing, until he realized he could no longer feel ether of his wive's heads on his shoulders...

Looking down, he could now almost see through them, as if they were ghost...

_**It's alright Tenchi... You'll get use to it...**_

He could see Tsunami standing before him, smiling...

Washu had gotten up and was putting the sleeping Mayuka into her crib, which was next to his chair...

To his surprise, he saw Tokimi standing on the other side of the crib, watching as Washu carefully tucked little Mayuka in...

As he moved, he discovered that he had passed right through both of his wives in standing...

He had even passed through the sleeping Mihoshi, without disturbing her...

He stared down at himself...

Behind him he heard a slight chuckle - Washu...

He turned to find her smiling at him...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**Welcome to our world Tenchi!...**_

His jaw must have fallen, for she reached over and put her finger under his chin and lifted it...

_**What?... How?... Where?...**_

Washu stepped closer and smiled at him...

_**You're in what would be called 'a higher plane', a place that is outside space and time... **_

His eyes widened...

_**Only VERY special people are able to come here...**_

She touched his cheek and she smiled...

She was so proud of her little guinea pig...

It was then that he noticed that not only was she smiling at him, but Tsunami and even Tokimi were smiling, faintly...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Looking around him, he could see Ayeka and Ryoko sitting on the couch, their heads now resting on thin air...

Even Mihoshi's head was floating above the couch...

_**Don't worry, time has 'stopped'...**_

As Tenchi looked at her, she continued...

_**Haven't you ever wondered how Ryoko was able to move from place to place, teleporting?...**_

He'd gotten so use to it that he really hadn't wondered, at-least lately...

_**It's because she's able to enter this plane to a slight degree and move to where she wants to go, then she returns to the normal plane of existence...**_

As he was about to ask some thing, Washu put her finger on his lips...

_**No, she doesn't realize HOW she's doing it, it's all deep in her subconscious, like breathing...**_

A look of anger crossed her face...

_**It was one of the things that Kagato spent thousands of years searching for, the ability to enter into this higher plane...**_

A look of pain crossed her face...

_**Not that he didn't try various ways of 'extracting' the knowledge from Ryoko...**_

She looked at her frozen, sleeping daughter, sitting on the couch...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was now his turn to touch her cheek...

_**He's gone and best forgotten...**_

She smiled at him and brushed some thing from the corner of her eye...

_**Yes, yes... Where were we... Ah, yes... TIME...**_

She stroked his cheek...

_**As in how much time you can expect to have with your wives and new family members?...**_

She saw worry in his eyes...

_**That even I can not say...**_

She saw surprise and smiled...

_**You'd have to ask some one else and we both know how hard it is to get answers from her...**_

She looked at Tsunami as she said this...

_**But, barring accidents and other fatal events, like any living being, you'll be with us for a very long time...**_

She still saw questions in his eyes...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**Time and lifespans can vary with your point of view...**_

She had his attention...

_**To the Musca domestica, better known as a house fly, humans would be considered gods..**_

She saw his eyebrow go up...

_**That would be because a human counts his live in months and years, the tiny house fly counts his in days and weeks, a month at best...**_

She could almost see the wheels turning as he digested this...

_**Now the common sea turtle, has been known to have lived as long as 400 years, if left alone, the average life is about 80, these days, with luck...**_

She gave Tenchi a wicked smile...

_**But you don't have any one chasing you, trying to catch you and eat YOU!...**_

She caught him looking back at the couch and the people on it, a smile appearing...

Sighing Washu continued...

_**OK, no one trying to EAT you... **_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She saw a slight nod of his head...

_**As for you... Your original live span could have been as long as 80 to a 100 years, barring any accident and such...**_

Washu saw sadness as Tenchi's eyes narrowed, his wives had already lived more than 10 times that...

_**HOWEVER... That was before you began to leave this world and also learned how to use the Lighthawk Wings...**_

She smiled as the sadness faded, but the question look was still there...

_**This planet was originally settled by members of the Masaki and Juraian races, both races having very long lives...**_

Before he could respond, she continued...

_**However, over time and with the high concentrations of radiation on this world, especially from the three rings of radiation that orbit this world, known as the Van Allen belts, their life span dropped from thousands of years to hundreds of years and finally to a hundred or less...**_

She saw him look at the crib with little Mayuka in it...

_**Don't worry, the effect takes decades, if not centuries to effect those not born on this world... **_

She saw relief in his eyes...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**The main factor in their long lives was because of a gland in the body which helped rejuvenate it by helped repair damage faster than the immune system by it's self, the Appendix...**_

Tenchi looked down at his body and Washu had to smile...

_**Besides the inter-stellar traveling and the Wings, you have other things on your side...**_

He was paying attention...

_**When Ryo-Ohki and **__**Funaho**_ crashed here centuries ago, the impact created a crater lined with elements from both ships...

She saw his eyebrow go up and she smiled...

_**This crater filled in and became the local terrain, but it also acts as a shield against the surrounding radiation in the soil, thus allowing your grandfather's tree to survive and help him to survive...**_

She saw his eye widen a bit...

_**So, although still effected by the radiation in the air and sky, Funaho has been able to keep him alive and well, using energy from Ryoko's stones...**_

Tenchi smiled, when Ryoko had heard that _**Funaho**_ was using her gem's energy, she'd been upset, until Washu pointed out, no energy, then no tree, with no tree, there would be no grandfather and thus **NO** Tenchi...

She still wasn't happy, but she didn't say any thing more, clinging to Tenchi's arm...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_**Over time, you grandfather was able to work up a slight immunity to the radiation, which allowed him to spend longer periods away from the protection of the valley...**_

This was something Tenchi hadn't known...

_**Between excursions out into this growing world, he'd have to spend long periods of time recovering within Funaho**_ ...

Some thing else his grandfather had not mentioned...

_**After several hundred years, he's built up an immunity which allows him to travel for as long as he likes without having to take treatments...**_

Tenchi smiled...

_**As for your gland, the wings have awaken it and as time goes by, you will be more like a Juraian than an Earthier...**_

She smiled...

_**At-least body wise, the rest of you will remain the young boy we've all come to admire and love...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

She saw relief in his eyes and she got a wicked smile...

_**There are a few other things you should know...**_

His eyes narrowed and he sighed, he'd seen her smile...

_**Now that you're able to come to this higher plane, there maybe some changes...**_

His head tilted slightly, as if asking **WHAT?...**

_**There's a good chance that you may eventually be able to teleport like Ryoko, even pass through solid object at will, as that too is done by connecting with this plane, a sort of getting slightly out of phase with the normal realm, enough to pass through things... **_

_**Some thing else Ryoko can do but doesn't understand...**_

Tenchi smiled and nodded his head...

Washu didn't mention that there was now a good chance **HE** would out live **ALL** his wives...

**THAT** was something he didn't need to know...

At-least, not yet...

She saw Tsunami smile at her and nod her head...

And snapped her finger...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The living room... )**

Tenchi blinked his eyes and found himself sitting back on the couch, surrounded by his wives...

It took only an instant to check to see that he could feel them...

He could...

He was back in the real world...

His eyes focused and he could make out Washu, lifting Mayuka out of her crib...

She smiled at him as they made eye contact...

_**Yes, it did happen...**_

His eye brow went up...

Ayeka sighed and then Ryoko...

As he ran his hand through Mihoshi's hair, she giggled and he sighed...

Then he closed his eyes and smiled...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After picking up lttle Mayuka, Washu smiled...

As she held Mayuka up, she noticed that some one was now awake...

_**Yes little one, he's OK... He just learned a few new facts-of-life...**_

Small redish eyes looked back into hers and she chuckled...

_**Don't worry, little one, you're still Poppa's number one girl...**_

She saw a tiny smile appear...

Then Mayuka closed her eyes and cuddled up in Washu's arms...

Soon Washu felt Mayuka's breathing calm and slow, as she joined the rest of her family in dreamland, a smile on her little face...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Softly, Washu began to hum an old tune that she'd heard Tenchi hum when ever he held Mayuka...

A tune that his mother had hummed to him when he was a child...

The same tune that her mother had hummed to her...

A tune that had been hummed by Juraian and Airaian parents to their children for countless thousands of years...

One of them being a small baby boy who became the Emperor of a great Empire,** Tenchi Masaki...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chracters are property of their original owners... All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 04 ... Yugi ...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Within the Demon Cave... ) **

The large cavern was dimly lite as three figures appeared at the foot of the stairs that went upward, back to the entrance ands the outside world...

Ryoko stood in the middle and she was trying to remain calm, as she wasn't all that happy about returning here...

The only reason she had come was because of the two people holding her hands...

Holding her left hand was little princess Sasami Masaki Jurai, one of the few people who could get her to do some thing she didn't want to do...

Like return to the deep-dark cavern that she had spent 700 years confined in...

Holding her right hand was the person that she would do any thing for, without question...

The person that she had given her heart and her soul too...

A young, shy boy by the name of Tenchi Masaki...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she was amazed at how it had changed...

The pool of water that she had spent that 700 years in and the surrounding channels of water were gone, as was the pitch darkness that had confined her...

Instead, there was a large oddly shaped crystal box where the pool had been and it seem to be gently pulsating...

Another thing that caught her eye was all the tiny dots of lights above them, that gave the impression that they were outside, under a night sky...

It was Sasami's quiet voice that broke the silence...

" **The stasis chamber can be configured as desired... Also, Azaka and Kamidake had access to more power and resources than Yosho had 700 years ago... **"

As Ryoko nodded her head, Sasami continued...

" **Also there wasn't a need to heal her body as there was in your case... This is more a young female's sleeping chamber than the prison for a violent criminal... Tenchi's father had a hand in designing it...** "

Ryoko had to admit it was some thing and then she thought of some thing and she spoke softly to Sasami...

" **Does your father, the Emperor, know about her, what happen and this chamber here?...** "

Sasami broke out in a big smile and looked up at Tenchi...

" **Washu informed him right after the chamber was finished and Tenchi had carried Yugi to her bed... She also made it quite clear that this corrected an over reaction on the part of the Juraian goverment and there was no longer a threat, nor problem...** "

Ryoko had to smile, she bet the Emperor hadn't been too happy about being 'informed' about a possible threat to the Juraian Empire...

_**Oh, to have been there to see his face...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Ryoko turned to look at Tenchi, still holding her hand, quietly...

She hadn't been able to bring herself to join Washu, Ayeka, Sasami and Tenchi when they had moved the sleeping child, Yugi, from Washu's lab to the chamber in the cavern...

Mihoshi had kept her company while the others came...

Ayeka had managed to convence Mihoshi it was a 'family' matter and she shouldn't detail it, as she had the kagato affair, so she sent in a short report, still fairly long...

And no mention was made about how a past ruler of Jurai had to seal up a young child for the rest of her life...

Ayeka and Sasami had been there to represent the Juraian Empire, since it all took place before Tenchi was officially recognized as the new Crown Prince...

Washu was there to make sure that all the systems were operated properly and to set up the stasis field to allow Yugi to sleep and mature, as well as scanners to monitor her well being at all times...

Even though she would be sleeping, she would know that she would never be alone again, as Tenchi had promised...

Since then, no one had disturbed her sleep, except for Sasami, who tried to visit her friend each day...

Until now...

Sasami had asked Ryoko for a favor...

Ryoko was beginning to wish her had thought it over a while, before she had agreed to do it, this place still made her nervous...

Her thoughts went back to that final battle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some time back... )**

With the whole family back together again, they had invaded Yugi's stronghold and attempted to confront her...

There had been that old thrill of the battle at first, but Ryoko soon discovered that she didn't have the taste for it that she'd had before...

Now her concern was more for Tenchi's well being and she discovered, even Ayeka's...

She was determined that she would not win Tenchi's hand over Ayeka's dead body...

And that really surprised her...

The old Ryoko would have done any thing to get what she wanted, even over a rival's body...

The time spent in that dark chamber had changed her in ways she hadn't noticed before...

Of course she wasn't about to let Ayeka find out about that...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

One could spend days reviewing the details of the battle that went on within Yugi's self created world...

Who did this, who did that...

How this might have worked better or that might have...

But in the middle of the battle a decision must be made and there are no going back and changing it later...

What mattered was that Tenchi made it safely to the center of the raging storm, where Yugi was and had confronted her...

Ryoko smiled as she watched Tenchi stood before Yugi, his sword in his hand and began to walk towards her...

At the distance they were from him, all they could do was stand and watch...

But they could all hear Yugi scream in a very frightened voice for Tenchi to " **Stay away! Stay away!** " and wait for him to end it...

But it was hard to connect all the destruction they'd seen to the owner of that sad, pleading voice

And then, to their surprise,Tenchi hadn't even used the sword...

He had slapped her, then caught her as she dropped the shields that had been protecting her and stood there, defenseless before him...

They all watched as he had then knelled down, reached out and gently touched her cheek, smiling at her...

They couldn't hear what he said to her, the promise that he made, but soon Yugi had rested her head on his shoulder and they all found themselves back in the real world...

High upon the top of an unfinished high rise building in downtown Tokyo...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

( **Back in the chamber...** )

As they approached the crystal box, the lights began to dance...

" **Yugi... I've brought some visitors with me today... You remember Tenchi...** "

And the light brightened and danced, happy and cheerful...

" **And you remember Ryoko...** "

The lights suddenly dimmed and Sasami chuckled...

" **It's OK... In fact this use to be her old 'room' for several hundred years... **"

The lights brightened, slightly and Sasami smiled...

" **While she was here she learned how to create an astro form and then move beyond this chamber, to the outer world...** "

The lights brightened more and danced slightly as Sasami continued...

" **I've asked her if she would help you learn how to do it, so you can come out and visit us too... **"

The lights began to dance even more...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Ryoko stepped closer to the box and looked into it, looking down at the sleeping young girl laying there...

It was hard to believe that this 'child' was even older than her was, perhaps even older than Washu...

She felt Tenchi take her hand and she had to smile...

" **Yugi... I promised Sasami that I would help you learn how to create an astro form when ever we're home... But it will be up to you to learn how to develop this ability... **"

She paused...

" **And when you do get outside, you will find that most people you see out there won't be able to see you or touch you, but there will be a few who can see you... Sasami will be better able to help you there...** "

She saw Sasami smile and nod her head...

Looking down, she saw a slight smile on the child's face and couldn't help smiling...

She also felt Tenchi squeeze her hand...

" **So sleep, little one... Dream only sweet dream... And always remember that no matter what, you are no longer alone in this vast universe... You are now a part of this family and WE will be here for you...** "

She heard a tiny voice in the back of her mind...

_**Thank you, Ryoko...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	5. Chapter 5

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Author: Daferge...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer:**

**Tenchi Muyo! is copyright by AIC/Pioneer Ltd...**

**Characters are property of their original owners... **

**All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**( Note: For some reason Ch. 3 keeps popping up... Sorry about that... Fingers crossed... )**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 05... Revenge...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A backwater planet... ) **

The courtyard was large, but it was still packed...

People from the surrounding towns and villages had come to the capital to see the execution of an infamous criminal...

In the center of the courtyard was a small roped off area, in which a tall pole, with a crossbeam, stood...

Hanging from the beam was the body of a young female with light hair, a hood over her head...

Clothed in a simple dress, her hands chained behind her, her feet bare...

The crowd was silent, for this was not what they'd come to see...

This was some thing they didn't want to see...

The only one who did seem happy, was the planetary Governor...

Soon his name would spread across the galaxy, as the person who had brought to justice, the infamous space pirate Ryoko...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Across the courtyard... )**

Leaning against a building, a young boy was watching and trying his hardest to remain calm...

Only the hands of two females standing on each side of him, holding his hands, kept him from forcing his way through the crowd to the gallows...

Though nether spoke aloud, their voices spoke calmly to him through an implant that allowed mental contact between them...

A third voice, from far, far away, joined the other two, reminding him that this was the way it had to be...

Galaxy law only extended to the atmosphere of a world, on the surface it was local law, good or bad...

And this was one of the bad ones...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A week earlier... )**

While passing through a little traveled section of space, Ryoko wanted to visit a small world she hadn't seen in 700 years...

It was a beautiful planet, similar to Terra ( Earth/ Juraian colony 0315 )...

It had been one of the few places that she felt safe, the few rare times when she managed to get away from Kagato...

All too soon Kagato would take mental control of her, no matter where she was and force her to return...

She wanted to show it to those dearest to her...

And it hadn't been hard to find, but after 700 years it had changed a bit...

It was now a colonized world on the edge of the Juraian Empire, maintaining a neutral stance, but allowing a small Juraian outpost, as well as a Galaxy Police station...

This helped to prevent raids from nearby worlds known to associate with space pirates...

But the 'Ruler' was a planetary Governor, who was elected by the people...

That is, if you didn't count all the behind the scenes maneuvering, like vote buying, ballet box stuffing, etc...

And it seem that the latest elections were near...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

After showing Tenchi and the others some of her secluded spots that were still there after 700 years Ryoko had visited a couple of bars on her own...

It was there that some one had recognized her and reported her to the local law...

When confronted, she didn't deny it, but contacted the others by their special com-unit...

Ayeka told her to go along quietly and they would be there shortly to get her released...

However, when they got there they were informed that they had orders to hold her for trial, the next day...

Their documents, declaring her a free person would have to be presented at that time, by a local lawyer, it was the law...

It was while looking around for a lawyer that they got a better idea of how 'the law' worked on this planet...

**ALL** of the local lawyers refused to take a case against the government and for good reason...

In the past, those that had stood up to 'the law' not only didn't win, but usually had bad things happen to them...

It was an officer at the local **GP** station that lead them to a lawyer who was practicing in one of the smaller villages...

Because he was considered honest and trustworthy, he'd had to leave to capital, to stay alive...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Posing as friends of the defendant, they went to see the lawyer, in his small office...

After reviewing the paper work they had, he had to informed them that even with all that evidence, the government still owned the court and it was unlikely they could win...

The only way to get Ryoko back was to **TAKE** her back, some thing both Ayeka and Mihoshi were more than willing to do...

**HOWEVER** , the after effects would be just as bad, if not worse...

Washu told them that if a Jurian subject, a princess no less, was involved in the breakout the political fallout would not only be bad, but the local outpost would have to be removed from the only suitable site for light years around...

That also went for an officer of the Galaxy Police being involved...

Every thing pointed to her having to take her chances in court...

Washu promised to come up with a plan, after she checked some things...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( the court... )**

Even with the deck stacked against him and ignoring threats, as he had for years, the lawyer showed up in court to represent Ryoko...

As he'd thought, although he presented the paperwork that Ryoko's records had been removed due to the statute of limitations and all charges dismissed, the court had an old wanted poster and **THAT** was good enough to charge her with crimes...

The governor being present with a number of his personal guard, who were more like thugs, didn't help their case...

And he wanted a conviction...

For the most part it was a simple and quick case, Ryoko was a wanted space pirate ( as per the poster ) and as such guilty...

The verdict was quick too, she was to be hung, as other pirates had been executed in the past...

When the lawyer objected, the judge stated that that was the mandatory verdict for **ALL** space pirates, by law, for some time and his not knowing didn't matter...

Washu had then told them not to identify themselves and for Ryoko to remain calm...

She had a plan, as a back up, just in case...

And she explained it to four unhappy people and a sad Cabbit...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The present... )**

Ayeka and Mihoshi had to hold Tenchi's hands to prevent him doing any thing as Ryoko was brought out to the pole...

As it turned out, the government hadn't spent a lot on it's execution platform, a wooden box, three feet tall, under a hanging rope...

Ryoko was then lifted up onto the box by two tall males...

A third male, wearing a hood, with eye-holes, stood on another box next to iy...

It was he who put a hood over her head and then the rope around her neck ...

It was then that Tenchi almost lost it, as Mihoshi made a comment about the details of the execution...

Due to the shortness of the rope being used, the short drop would most likely not snap her neck, as was the common method of execution...

In all likelihood, she would probably just slowly strangle to death...

Only when he recalled that, upon the box being removed, was Ryoko to use her ability to float, to prevent the rope choking her as she dropped...

Tensing her neck muscles should help too...

Then, when a doctor checked her, she would slow her pulse rate so she would pass for dead...

Tenchi would, as next of kin, claim the body...

Once off world the truth could be revealed...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Or at least that was the plan...

After the doctor checked her pulse, he declared her dead...

It was at that point that the plan went wrong...

The governor smiled and motioned to one of his guards...

" **Cut her down and bring me her head...** "

It was then that Tenchi did some thing he didn't know he could do...

He disappeared from between a startled Ayeka and Mihoshi and reappeared before Ryoko's body, Tenchi-ken, his Juraian sword/key, ablaze...

All those around him froze where they were...

Jumping up and he spun around and he cut the rope holding Ryoko up, causing her to drop...

As she fell, Tenchi caught her...

_**Wake up sleeping beauty...**_

Opening her eyes, in Tenchi's arms, she smiled...

" **What?... No wake-up kiss?...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Landing on their feet, Ryoko broke the chains on her, and turn so she was stood back-to-back with Tenchi, a light sword in her hand, smiling...

As the Governor shouted at his men to attack Ryoko and her co-hort, a voice shook the air...

" **ENOUGH!...** "

The crowd parted, as Ayeka, surrounded by logs and followed by Mihoshi in her **GP** battle-suit, a huge cannon on her shoulder, advanced towards them...

From the expression on her face and the way her hair was floating behind her, Ryoko's eyes widened, it had been some time since she'd last seen the princess this mad...

From the size of the cannon on Mihoshi's shoulder and the expression on **HER** face, it was plain that **SHE** wasn't very happy ether...

Not taking her eyes off the two females, Ryoko whispered...

" **Is it too late to run?... **"

Tenchi smiled and sighed, he could see the two out of the corner of his eye...

" **I'm afraid so...** "

They both heard Ayeka's voice in their heads...

_**Don't ether of you dare move...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The Governor turned his attention to the two new comers...

One he recognized must be a galaxy Police officer, as she was wearing one of their battle suits...

And the other had to be Juraian, only they used tiny log for personnel defense, probably from the higher upper class...

But what would they be doing here?...

Before he could inquire, the Juraian motioned to some one in the crowd and two Juraian military officers, off-duty and here to watch the execution, approached her...

As they got close to the female he watched as they both dropped to one knee and bowed they heads...

For some reason a chill ran down his spine...

As she motioned for them both to rise, his blood ran cold as she pointed at him...

" **Arrest that man...** "

As the two officers approached him, he stared at the female and he managed to speak...

" **Who... Who are you?...** "

Ryoko couldn't help smiling, only her mother had a wickeder smile than the princess...

" **The first princess of Jurai, Ayeka Masaki Jurai... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As the two officers took up positions on both sides of the Governor, she continued...

" **There is a Juraian heavy cruiser in orbit directly overhead... I suggest you put any thoughts of causing problems out of your minds... Our business is with this man alone...** "

There wasn't any cruisers within a number of light-years, but these people didn't know that...

Tenchi noted that the Governor's guards had backed off, way off and he extinguished the Tenchi-ken...

With a sigh, Ryoko dissolved her sword too...

Wide eyed the Governor spoke up, pointing at Tenchi and Ryoko...

" **But, what are these two to you?... **"

Why did Ayeka's smile remind Tenchi of that National wildlife special where the Lioness seem to smile before ripping a chunk out of her freshly killed meal?...

" **He... is Crown Prince Tenchi Masaki... **"

Not only the governor, but the two officers, looked at the young boy, who smiling back at them...

" **AND he happens to be my husband... **"

With a sigh, she continued...

" **And as Ryoko is also his wife, she is now Juraian princess Ryoko Hakubi Masaki... And you do know the punishment for assaulting a member of the Royal family?...** "

Tenchi was sure the Governor didn't hear the last part, his eyes had rolled back into his head at 'Juraian princess Ryoko Hakubi Masaki'...

Sighing, Ayeka motioned for the two officers to take the unconscious male away...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Seeing both Tenchi and Ryoko looking her way and smiling, she slowly turned...

To find a sad Mihoshi, back in her traveling clothes, pouting...

She sighed...

" **I'm sorry Mihoshi... But he passed out before I could get to you... Next time, OK?...** "

This cheered Mihoshi up so she turned and looked at Tenchi, who was making sure that Ryoko was alright...

She heard Mihoshi whisper softly...

" **You saw it too, didn't you?...** "

Ayeka sighed, she didn't have to ask what **IT** was...

She just nodded her head...

" **Yes, Mihoshi... It seems our beloved lord has another surprise for us...** "

Then she heard Mihoshi whisper again...

" **Do you think HE knows?... **"

Ayeka smiled and shook her head, she wasn't sure...

" **Do you think Washu knows?...** "

Ayeka's eyes widened

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Washu's Lab... )**

It was good to be able to access Ryo-Okhi's memory when she needed to...

Seeing Tenchi tele-port to save Ryoko had come as a big surprise, she had predicted it, but so soon?...

It must have been the desire to save Ryoko that had triggered it...

What other surprises did her little **"Guinea Pig"** have in store?...

She smiled, the future was looking even brighter...

Just wait until she sprung **THIS** on Emperor Azusa...

If hearing that Tenchi's father could produce a tiny Wing of the Light-hawk had raised an eyebrow, what was **THIS** going to do?...

She looked at the small crib over to the side, with it's small occupant, enclosed in a small force-field that kept the noise from the lab from waking her...

A special recording of Tenchi humming to her helped her sleep better, that and the stuffed Ryo-Ohki doll she was hugging...

If little Mayuka's father had all these surprises, what would she be able to do as she grew?...

Washu remembered when the Juraian Demon Yuzuha dropped by for an uninvited visit...

The look on her face when the little one produced that tiny fireball had been priceless...

Washu couldn't help it, she began to chuckle...

Soon she was laughing...

_**Oh, yes... Life was good with in-laws like these...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Characters are property of their original owners... **

**All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 06... Abduction part 02...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some where in sub-space... ) **

They say that **ANYTHING** is possible if you have the right connections...

So a young boy sat in a rather uncomfortable seat and sighed softly...

Not long ago all he had to worry about was getting up in the morning and going to school each day...

Then, while staying at his grandfather's shrine, in the hills that overlooked the city, he had accomplished a desire he had had since he was just a child...

He had finally gained entrance to the mysterious cave that his grandfather had always forbidden him entering...

It hadn't taken long before he had began to wish he had listened to his grandfather...

For it turned out that the "Demon Cave" really did hold a demon within it and he had set it free...

After that, his world had been turned up-side-down...

Tenchi Masaki smiled, correction, his UNIVERSE had been turned up-side-down...

Now, school had become the least of his worries...

He also missed that "Demon" and the many others who had come into his life, since he turned that key and gone down into that cave...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He heard chuckling and a voice brought him back to the present...

" **I believe the expression is 'A penny for your thoughts?'...** "

Turning slightly, he could see a young girl standing a short distance away, with red hair, smiling at him...

Even wearing the glasses and white lab coat, she still tended to look like she could be his younger sister...

Smiling, Tenchi knew better than that...

Washu Hakubi was not only far older than she looked, she was much smarter too...

Having once been the 'Head professor' at the Science Academy, as well as being, ' the greatest scientific genius in the universe', it had only seem right that **SHE** take over when it was decided that, with all his new responsibility, he needed to have special tutoring...

Until recent events, he had continued going to the local school each day by bus, but each evening, there were several hours of special studies, having to do with the universe beyond his planet's atmosphere...

So as to not cause any problems with his regular chores and such, Washu had created a special room, inside her Lab, for him to study in, one that was not effected by regular time...

So, no matter how long he spent studying in the room, with it's books, computers and other highly advanced teaching aids, when he stepped back out the door, only a few minutes would have passed in normal time...

Add to that, Sasami's wonderful meals, a few very special vitamins from Washu and every thing seem to be working out...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

And it seem that there was a great deal for him to learn...

Among the stars that twinkled in the night sky above his world was a vast universe filled with wonders, surprises and great dangers,

There was even a very large Empire of several thousand stars, with countless subjects and a written history that was several hundred thousand years old...

It didn't help that recent events and research was beginning to suggest ( and suggest quite loudly ) that the 'official' history of the Empire might not be it's 'true' history...

But at any rate, as things now stood, there was a very good chance that he was going to be expected to one day step up and rule that Empire...

And to do that, this was just some of what he was expected to know...

But for the moment that future had been put on hold, as a hidden danger threatened the present...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was now that he noted a slight twitch that Washu's right hand was doing...

During the time that she set aside to lecture him about things in the universe, he'd happen to notice that when ever she became really concerned about some thing, her right hand would twitch, as if trying to type on a keyboard...

And as she could type very fast, her fingers moved quickly...

It was an observation he'd kept to himself and smiled...

" **A penny for YOUR thoughts... **"

It was Washu's turn to smile and chuckle...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Sitting on the arm of the seat he was sitting on, Washu sighed and rested her head on his shoulder...

Thank the goddess that the girls weren't here to see this...

He'd seen both Ayeka and Ryoko explode with less cause in the past...

" **It seems that we only have a few weeks of supplies, at the moment...** "

This surprised him, as he clearly recalled her boasting that they had enough supplies for a whole year or more when they had started off...

As if reading his thoughts, she continued...

" **It seems I had forgotten to take into account our new guest's appetite and how she tends to nibble when she's nervous or upset... And is she ever nervous and upset... **"

Tenchi couldn't help smiling, the yellow haired Galaxy Police officer was at times, the closest thing Tenchi had to a sister, next to Sasami, but he had reason to to believe that being his older sister wasn't what was in the back of HER mind...

Washu had shown him a recording of Mihoshi asleep on the couch recently, with that large stuffed panda bear that he'd gotten her at the recent carnival...

He'd smiled, as she hugged it in her sleep, until Washu increased the volume until you could hear her mumbling...

" **Oh, Tenchi...** **My destiny... My destiny... **"

He'd had her delete the recording...

But he was sure she had a back-up copy some where, deep in her memory files...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Sighing, he looked down at Washu...

" **So, do we change our plans?...** "

Washu smiled and then waved her right hand in the air...

The large viewing screen appeared before them and what appeared to be a garden on it...

In the center of that garden was a small fountain, which was surrounded by shade trees...

And in the shade of the trees, were benches and at the moment one of them seem to be occupied...

What appeared to be a small female was sitting in the shaded grass next to the bench, their head resting on her arms, which were resting on the bench...

Tenchi didn't need to hear any sound to know that little Sasami was crying, crying because of him, for, like the others, she thought he was dead...

That had been the hardest part of Washu's plan, even though there were some very good reasons...

He heard Washu's voice whisper in his ear...

" **Do you want to change it?...** "

And he sighed...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( A garden behind the Juraian Palace, a short time later... )**

According to Washu's readings, there were no sensors or viewing devices in this area of the palace...

There also weren't any servants or guards ether, as this was a very private garden...

And it was considered impossible for any one to get this deep within the palace without being detected...

Tenchi made a mental note to see what Washu could do about this hole in the palace's security net...

He then looked around to see exactly where he was and where he needed to go...

It appeared that he was now next to the main building and he could see Sasami a short distance away, still resting her head on the bench...

Washu had provided him with a cloak and hood, similar to those worn by palace staff during the rare showers which were used to water the grass and plants in the garden...

Taking a deep breath, he stepped off and slowly approached the young girl...

As he got closer, he could hear her soft sobbing...

He stopped a short distance from her and bowed his head slightly, as he'd seen the palace servants do...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It seem like an eternity before she seem to sense that some one was there and raised her head...

He smiled as she continued to face away from him, wiping mosture from the corner of her eyes, not wanting any one to see her like this...

" **Yes?... **"

He could see her composing herself, but she still didn't turn around, she was even shaking slightly...

Tenchi stepped closer and reached out his hand, touching the side of her face, gently stroked it...

At his touch, she froze and he saw her start to tense up, but before she could react to his stroking, he spoke very softly...

" **What's for dinner, little princess?...** "

At that, Sasami froze for a moment and then slowly began to turn around, her mouth open, her eyes wide...

She stared at him for an eternity before jumping up and throwing her arms around him...

Resting her head on his chest, she began sobbing his name, over and over and over...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Like her sister and mother, she too was strong and it took him a while to catch his breath...

About all he could do at the moment was stroke the back of her head...

Finally, when he was able to speak again, he whispered softly...

" **There are a couple of old friends who'd like to see you...** "

He could feel her loosen her grip, but she didn't let go...

" **One with red hair, the other with yellow hair...** "

He could feel her chuckle ever so slightly and he sighed...

" **I'll take that as a yes?... **"

He smiled as he heard her sigh and tighten her grip...

He pulled the cloak carefully and gently around her, to protect her and then he waited...

As their surrounding faded, Tenchi heard a voice in the back of his head...

There was agony and pain in it as it cried out a single word...

_**SASAMI! **_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Characters are property of their original owners... **

**All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 07... Time and Vaults...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Masaki Home... ) **

Professor Washu Hakubi had noted that it was about mid day and thought she'd take a break and see what little Sasami was fixing for lunch...

With every thing going on with the expanding Masaki family, she'd been spending less time in her Lab of late and more time in the 'Real World'...

Upon exiting the door leading to her lab, she heard a good deal of noise coming from the living room...

Checking the time, she noted that the morning soaps that some of the girls watched were over and there wouldn't be any more until later in the evening...

This aroused her curiosity...

And so she moved to a point where she could get a better view of the living room...

To her surprise, she discovered that most of the couch and all the chairs seem to be occupied...

She could make out the back of a head of yellow hair, sitting next to a head of bluish-green hair...

There was also a head of dark purplish hair and one of spikish silverish hair...

All seem to be watching something on the large screen TV...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Moving closer, Washu was able to see the screen better and there was a young male, dark hair and mustache talking in what Washu believed was called English, a language spoken by a large number of the population of this planet...

Especially on that large landmass across the sea to the East of them...

If she concentrated, she would be able to understand what he was saying, but it wasn't really necessary...

Across the top of the screen, the TV's translator was already printing out his words in Juraian, a language most of the house hold understood and spoke...

A similar line was being printed across the bottom of the screen in the local language, Japanese...

From what she could make out, it was a "LIVE" broadcast for a city in the northern portion of the country that occupied a good deal of the landmass directly East of them, the United States of America...

A young country that had been involved in most of the events that was shaping this world in the past hundred years or so...

Some one she was keeping her eye on...

It was alway the "young" that tended to cause and get into the most trouble...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Unwilling to be left in the dark, Washu waved her hand in the air and her keyboard and screen appeared before her...

Rather than check the TV schedule, which listed several thousand channel, both on this world and off it, she just connected to the TV control it's self and checked the name of the program playing...

Some thing called _**The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault**_**...**

A quick check of the TV guide, brought her up to date...

It seem that a large vault was discovered in an old Hotel in the American city of Chicago and was believed to been once owned by a famous local gangster/criminal by the name of Al Capone...

There was speculation that it might contain items long hidden and forgotten since his death 4 decades before...

An announcer, the young male, was making a production out of the opening on the vault...

Giving the viewers an entertaining history of not only the former owner, but of the times he lived in and even a few suggestions as to what might or might not be in the vault...

Washu smiled, there seem to be some talent there...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Her attention was captured by a tap on her shoulder...

Turning, she came eye-to-eye with Princess Sasami, the young female who's skills in the kitchen kept the whole family alive and healthy...

Leaning close to Washu, she whispered a request into her ear...

Sighing, Washu raised an eyebrow and typed a number of keys on her keyboard, opening up a small black hole nearby...

Smiling, she reached in and pulled out a paper bag and handed it the the smiling young girl, who turned around and returned to the kitchen...

Soon the soft sound of popping drifted from the kitchen and Washu shook her head, it wasn't often that the greatest scientific genius in the universe was asked if she happen to have a couple of packs of 'popcorn'...

It seem that in the past hour, while watching the show, Mihoshi and the others had consumed all the snacks Sasami had gotten on her last shopping trip and the program was now into it's second hour...

A short time later, the small figure appeared with two large bowls of white puffy stuff and quickly and quietly replaced the empty ones at each end of the couch...

Washu couldn't help smiling...

_**With Mihoshi there, that should hold them for 10-15 minutes...**_

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Using her system, she did a quick check on the gentleman who was the source of all this activity, a Mr. Capone...

What she came up with was a bit of an eye opener...

For his time and era, he had been a successful and infamous criminal, it seem that most of the program, leading up to the opening of the vault, covered his history and events associated with him, based on both facts and rumors...

Like the rumored, yet unproved story of his famed removal of a rival gang on Valentine's day...

Lined up against a wall in their own busness, almost the entire gang had been gunned down in a few minutes, not only removing rivals, but also sending a message to other gangs who might want to stand in his way...

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre would forever be fore ever considered the bloodest point in local criminal history...

In the end it hadn't been his known or suspected crimes that had been his down fall, but an ancient part of the government that took him down...

Taxes...

And a human weakness, a stroke, that had killed him...

For a moment she thought of another criminal being brought down by such a simple thing...

But for that to happen, they had to have a heart and Kagato had shown little signs of ever having one...

Then she smiled as she recalled the image of Kagato, split in two and then slowly disintegrating...

It was one of her fondest and earliest memories of the young male who had then come into her life, Tenchi...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

As her systen began to access sources that were not available to the locals, her eye brow went up...

She wondered if she should let them know that the vault was empty!...

That there wasn't any thing in there and hadn't been since just after his death...

That is, other than a very large load of earth and trash...

But hanging around her **"Guinea Pig" **had also changed her, a bit...

As much fun as she might get, by spoiling the ending, she sighed...

Perhaps later she's let them in on the little secret that she'd just happen upon...

Looking up, she noted that the young male was putting a metal hat on and moving behind protection...

Another male leaned over a small box and turned a handle...

This was followed by a number of explosion and as the dust cleared, the vault was open...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( later at Dinner... )**

Washu smiled as they enjoyed Sasami's special meal to help the disappointed viewers from earlier...

It was Mihoshi's comment that caused her to smile...

" **I was so hopping that there was some thing in there!... **"

Washu couldn't resist...

" **Well, it's your fault that the vault was empty!...** "

As all eyes stared at her she turned to Sasami, who had just come in from the kitchen and lifted her bowl...

" **Could I have some more rice, please...** "

Sasami's eyebrow went up and her quickly refilled Washu's bowl for her, then took her place...

After nibbling on some fresh rice, Washu pretended not to notice all the eyes staring at her and she put on her innocent face...

" **What?...** "

It was kiyone who stood up and pointed at her...

" **What do you mean, it was Mihoshi's fault that the vault was empty?...** "

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Washu sighed, that hadn't been how she'd meant it, that was just how it came out...

" **I'm sorry, Mihoshi... I didn't mean that you personally were responsible!...** "

She saw the sadness disappear from Mihoshi's face and Tenchi raise an eyebrow...

" **I meant that the Galaxy Police were responsible!...** "

She nibble some more rice as several jaws dropped...

As Ryoko started to stand and say some thing, Tenchi put his hand on hers and as she looked his way, he smiled and shook his head...

She sat back down and Tenchi sighed...

" **Washu... Would you be so kind as to let us know what you came upon, concerning the vault?... **"

She was so proud of him and she nodded her head...

She took a sip of tea before she began...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **It seems that as the clouds of war were forming far to the east, a certain green haired Galaxy Police officer approached this world...** "

All eyes turned to Kiyone, who shook her head...

Washu spoke up before any one else could, smiling...

" **Think, family, Tenchi... **"

She saw his eyes widen, as did a number of other eyes, as Washu continued...

" **Officer Airi Magma was on assignment as well as searching for some thing...** "

She saw Tenchi smile and sigh...

" **In simple terms, your...** "

She stopped and looked around, to make sure the coast was clear before continuing, smiling...

" **Grandmother was looking for your Grandfather, but while in the area she was to check on some thing for the Grandmarshal...** "

She had every one's attention now...

" **It seem that rumors had reached his ears that certain off-world guilds were showing an interest in this sector of space, it's raw resources and the brewing conflict...** "

She smiled and took another sip of tea...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **Needless to say, she discovered and foiled a plot to help the Germans win the conflict and then she discovered that your Grandfather was alive...** "

Tenchi smiled, he'd recently been reunited with her, as well as a sister he never knew he had...

" **She took up the position of local observer to stay with him as well as protect the world from further off-world influence... As it was they were already here... **"

Washu sighed and poured some warmed sake in a small bottle into her tea cup before continuing...

" **While investigating the disappearance of two fellow officers over a decade before, she made contact with and interviewed an ex crime-lord by the name of Capone... Using a GP truth serum, she was able to discover that the officers had been killed and their body hidden in a secret vault beneath a hotel in his home city... Also in the vault were files found on the men in a strange language, as well as unusual devices... Being superstitious he had it all sealed in the vault and disposed of the few who knew of the bodies or their hiding place... He was the only one who knew where the vault was and what was in it...** "

She studied the wide open eyes around her and smiled...

" **She reported her findings and recommended that they wait until after his death before retrieving the officer's bodies, just in case... Capone was dying of a disease that effect his mind and died of a stroke a few years later... A small strike team 'raided' the vault not long after, under your grandmother's watchful eyes and retrieved everything in the vault using experimental beaming technology... They then dumped earth fill and trash within the vault, just in case... Two other vaults were also raided, just incase and the contents studied... As it turned out, the documents on the officers exposed off-world contacts as well as the contacts on-world working for the criminal guilds... With the on-world contacts taken into custody, all organized criminal activity was removed... And it's been that way for the most part ever since... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

With that every one seem more cheerful...

They chatted, ate and enjoyed the meal...

But Washu had one more footnote to add...

"** If you're still a bit disappointed at the results of the treasure hunt, you're not alone...** "

The table went quiet again and they were all looked at her again...

" **It seems that the IRS, the American tax collectors, who caused Capone so much trouble were disappointed too...** "

She paused for effect...

" **It seem that they'd gone so far as to get a lean against any thing of value in the vault towards tens of thousands of dollars owed by the late Capone...** "

She smiled as she continued...

" **So, with the help of the GP, Capone got the last laugh on the guys who were able to bring him down...** "

Looking across the table, she saw Ryoko smiling...

There wasn't any thing she liked better than a happy ending...

And sad governmental officials...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


	8. Chapter 8

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Characters are property of their original owners... All original characters and ideas are the property of the author...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Masaki Family Secrets... **

**Chapter 08... Decisions...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( LONG ago... ) **

A dark haired young male sat in a small chair, his back to the long table as he gazed out the large window before him...

Outside the window was the pitch black darkness of space...

It was a view that he had seen for some time now, when ever he had time to come to this room...

For some reason he found it comforting to gaze at the vast darkness of this huge universe...

It also helped to clear his mind and help him to think...

He still had nightmare from the images that would forever be a part of his memory, recently...

But at-least they didn't cause him to awake from his sleep, in a cold sweat, trembling like a leaf...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He had once thought of WAR as glamorous and noble...

Recent events had shown him just how foolish he'd been and he'd never be the same again...

The darkness before him didn't erase or replace those memories, but they did help shove them into the farthest reaches of his mind, where they just weren't as accessible...

He wasn't even certain how long it had taken to accomplish that, coming here to stare at - nothing...

But today was different...

There was something to see...

A number of lights, hovering some distance away within this darkness, a star and some planets...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He heard the very soft sound of the room door quietly sliding open and then quietly closing after a very short pause...

He didn't have to turn around to see who it was that had entered, he knew as soon as they stepped into the room...

Smiling, he spoke softly, before the other person could...

" **And what brings you down here in the middle of your busy shift, Commander?..**. "

He heard a very soft sigh and a slight chuckling...

" **There's just no sneaking up on you, is there?..**. "

Not turning, he knew that wasn't a question, but he replied any way, continuing to smile...

" **Differently not until you get a quieter sliding door...** "

With all the daily noises on-board such a large star ship, any one else would have not heard it at all...

He knew the Commander was smiling as she replied...

" **I'll have to get some one up from engineering to lube it when I get a chance...** "

But then he heard her voice change slightly as she continues, more serious...

" **HE sent me to see if you might have a moment?... **"

He might have laugh at that, for of late he had all the time in the universe, but there was something in the tone of her voice that caught his attention...

As he got up, he did manage to keep his smile as he replied...

" **I think I can fit him in... How does now sound to you?...** "

Looking at her face, he could see her eyes twinkle with laughter as she just barely manage to hide the cute smile that had appeared for just an instant...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( The Bridge... )**

As they stepped from the turbo lift, he still could not help getting that same feeling of awe that he had first gotten when he'd first set foot upon the deck of a real warship...

To be the flagship of even a Task Force as small as this one, it had to be a very formidable ship and this one truely was...

Sort of a cross between the largest ships-of-the-line, the Battleships and the smaller, yet faster Heavy Cruiser classes...

It had the power to be as fast as the cruisers, but was armed with weapons that were only found of the largest ships, what some one had once called a Pocket battleship and the name had stuck...

Some of the most powerful power plants ever built provided the power for it's engines, for it's weapons and even for it's shields...

But even they couldn't be used to power all three, at full power, at the same time, yet...

And so it was the Captain who had to decide where all that power went and how much...

It had already proven that, in the hand of an experience officer, this was one of the most powerful ships in the Universe...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Coming back to the present, he noted that they were approaching the officer in question...

Examining a clipboard, he made some motions on it and handed it back to the female crewman standing before him...

Upon receiving the clipboard the crewman quickly moved off to do some thing else...

Noticing the two approach, he let a smile appear...

" **I see you could find time to see me!...** "

The younger male smiled back, although he had also been a ship's Captain a short time before, that ship was now just pieces of scrap metal that were slowly falling into a Black-hole...

And had it not been for this officer standing before him, his body would have been among that scrap, as would his own crew and all his passengers...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **It seems that our journey may very well be at an end...** "

This was some thing the younger male had not considered as he had followed the Commander down from the upper deck...

The Captain then continued...

" **With the appearance of those scout units at our last jump point, we were forced to return to sub-space before all of our ships managed to fully recharged and recovered from the previous jump... **"

He let that information sink in...

" **As such, to reach this star system, we were forced to push the engines betond their max and as expected, it seems we've burnt out a number of power coils... **"

As the power coil was the major factor used in getting a ship into sub-space, it meant that they would be losing some units of the task-force...

He noted that the Commander had her head down and was looking at the floor, so he spoke up...

" **Is there a list of ships that were damaged and would have to be repaired?...** "

The Captain made a gesture and the female crewman approached them with a clip-board...

At a nod from the Captain, the crewman handed the board to the younger male...

Taking a deep breath, he glanced over the list that was on the board's screen...

He managed to remain calm as his eyes read each ship's name and it's current condition...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Handing it back to the young female, he watched her return to her station and heard the Captain's voice...

" **Your thoughts?... **"

The younger male managed a slight smile before speaking...

" **Setting aside a number of expressive words and comments I would like to say at the moment... Other than releasing my frustration, they would accomplish very little..**. "

The Captain chuckled...

"** I wonder of any were one I am thinking of?..** "

As both males chuckled, they noted that the Commander was looking at both of them, a very serious look on her face...

The Captain turned to her and smiled...

" **Easy Number One... We're getting there!...** "

A twinkle appeared in his eyes as he continued...

"** Besides, it's not like we'll going any where soon...** "

Her eyes widened and she started to say some thing, but stopped, looked at the two of them, then turned and walked away, both males watching her go...

The Captain smiles as he spoke in a ;ow voice that only the young male could hear...

" **You're going to have your hands full after you two tie the knot..**. "

The young male smiled too, then sighed...

" **From what I hear about your customs, if I survive the wedding night it should be down hill from there!... **"

The Bridge crew was startled as their Captain suddenly burst out in laughter...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Later, back on the observation deck... )**

The Captain, the Commander and the young male sat around the table...

The young male may have had his eyes closed, but if one looked closer, they could see movement under the closed eyelids as he worked out the problem...

Opening his eyes, he noted that the other two were looking at him and sighed...

" **Well... There are a number of options open to us, depending on a number of factors...** "

The Captain smiled and the Commander raised an eyebrow...

" **To repair enough ship for the strongest Task Force, a large number of the auxiliary and support ships would have to be stripped for parts, mostly coils... All the major ships and escorts would be repaired, but only a few of the support ships would be left... Also this compacted Task Force would only be able to carry a limited number of non-crew without effecting it's performance or the supplies it would need to support itself... **"

The Captain and Commander looked at each other before facing him again, it was the Captain who spoke...

" **Are there any other options?...** "

The young male hid a smile and continued...

" **To get the LARGEST number of ships available to jump, we would need to use the coils from the larger ships to repair the support ships and such... This means leaving the **_**Black Star**_** behind, as well as the cruisers **_**Lightning**_** and **_**Thunder**_**... But this would allow enough space for all crewmen, as well as all non-crews and the supplies needed to support them... However, this would also only leave a token escort force to protect it, if it happen to run unto any thing larger that a scout force...** "

He noted that that didn't sit too well...

" **But as I said, there are other factors...** "

Two pairs of eyes narrowed...

" **Those options are based on our continuing our flight and trying to take ALL the non-crew members with us... **"

This got their attention...

" **However... It seems we now have some new factors... Which we could use, if we wish... **"

He paused for a moment...

" **This system has a number of planets, with one being an ex-colony that has long since lost contact with it's home-world and which has thus regressed into a non-tech, pre-flight world... In fact, they probably don't even believe in off-world life... **"

It was the Captain who spoke up...

" **And what options does this give us?... **"

He had an idea, but wanted to hear the younger male's opinion...

" **Any non-crew or crew members who wishes, could be dropped off on this world and they should be able to blend in, thus being reasonable safe from any pursuers... **"

That widened some eyes...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

" **While I understand that the radiation belt around the world could effect any future generations, it would also prevent any off world scanners from being able to tell any new comers from the older ones... **"

He saw questions in their eyes and continued...

" **No matter how much any one might want to land and search for us, Prime Galaxy Law states that contact with low-tech, pre-flight worlds is forbidden... One of the few laws that still carries a death sensance... And at the present time, I don't believe those looking for us can afford to get the rest of the Galaxy worlds upset with them... **"

The Commander spoke...

" **So you're basing this on their doing the RIGHT thing?... **"

The young male looked at the Captain...

" **You're opinion?... "**

The Captain had his elbows on the table, his fingers inter-locked, his chin resting on them, he smiled...

" **I'd have to agree... Prime Galaxy Law is drilled into every member of the military, from the time he enlist... The consequences are far too major to do other wise... And in the end, it's the Emperor who will be held responsible for the actions of those under him... **"

The Commander responded...

" **So, you believe they won't do any thing and the people will be safe?... **"

The Captain chuckled...

" **Oh, there are things they can do... Most likely, sending down a few scout teams... But for the most part, their hands are tied... And also, why should they even bother?... Even if some one did get down on the planet, how are they going to get off?... They are as good as imprisoned there... And as for being safe?... Are you really ever safe any where in this vast Universe?... **"

He smiled as he didn't get any replies...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He looked at the younger male...

"** And your suggestion... **"

The young male closed his eyes and seem to be considering what to say...

But in reality he was talking to some one else...

_**As you said, we did find some thing, but what now?...**_

He sighed as he received his answer, the one he'd been hearing since childhood, only 100 years before...

_**The future is what YOU make it...**_

Opening his eyes, he found the two staring at him...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

In the Captain's eyeglasses, he could see his reflection and the glowing marks on his forehead...

The Captain's eyes narrowed as he digested this new information...

" **When you mentioned that your last name was Masaki, I didn't inquire further, as a large portion of your population has that name... However, I... **"

The young male held up a hand and nodded...

" **I believe introductions should be made... Since once I accept Misaki's hand, you will become my father-in-law... **"

The Captain didn't say any thing, he just nodded his head and the young male continued...

" **As you know, my name is Kenshi Masaki... However, I never mentioned that I am also the youngest son of the Emperor of the Masakian Stars, the Emperor of the Light, also known as the Pendragon of Trevena… His Imperial Royal Majesty, Tenchi Masaki...** "

Both of the officer's eyes were wide open as they stared at him...

" **And you are 1st Captain Seina Yamada Jurai, the youngest son of the Juraian Emperor who just destroyed those Masakian Stars... **"

He noticed the commander staring at her Captain and father, then smiled...

" **It seems that I wasn't the only one keeping secrets... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Shortly there after... )**

Kenchi broke the silence...

" **I know there's a lot to discuss, but we also need to make some decisions... And soon... Other Task Forces may be headed our way, even as we speak... **"

Getting a nod from his daughter, Captain Seina nodded too...

Kenchi continued...

" **As I see it, the first thing to do is inquire amount the Masakian survivors, as to who is willing to make planet-fall... I would assume that a good number, if not all of them will wish to have dirt under their feet again... Also, the members of the crews, Juraian, Masakian and others, need to be questioned also... I understand that a number have become disenchanted with life in the military and with fighting in general... They too may wish to leave... **"

He paused...

" **Then based on the number of remaining crews, another Task Force can take the repaired ships and depart this system... Being sure to leave behind a sort of trail for others to follow... Away from this system... **"

Seina had a question...

" **And where would they go?... **"

Kenchi smiled...

" **As I assume you will continue to command, I've co-ordinance to a world where the Task Force and it's crews should be safe... **"

He saw Seina's eyebrow flicked and the hint of a smile...

" **If you had such a place to hide, why come here?... **

Kenchi just smiled and Seina realized something...

" **We've been a decoy!... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Kenchi saw the hurt in Misaki's eyes and sighed...

"** Yes and No... **"

He now saw confusion on both their faces...

" **Yes, you were a decoy in the sense that we have been drawing attention away from other areas and hopefully, other survivors... **"

Two sets of eyes narrowed...

" **And NO, it wasn't planned... It just happened... And you were partly to blame... **"

He saw Seina's eyelid go up...

"** When you opposed the Task Force Admiral's order to destroy my helpless cruiser and all of the unarmed transports that I was escorting, your head became forfeit... Fortunately for you, most of the members of your crews were also sick of all the killing as well and sided with you... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

He smiled...

" **Those higher up thought that by crewing your Task Force with all those misfits they would be putting all their 'problem' children together where it would be easier to keep an eye on, as would you... It was also meant to keep YOU busy, so you wouldn't have the time nor the energy to object to this war, like your oldest brother did... "**

Again he paused...

"**I was surprised when he and my oldest sister got married, very much against your father's orders... I would really like to meet him some day... **"

He saw Seina sigh...

" **And I**** still think leaving that Admiral and those loyal to him on that transport was foolish, at the time, even without communications or sub-space engines... I kind of leaned towards the 'air-lock'suggestion, made by some of the crew... Some thing gave me the impression he wasn't very popular... **"

He saw that Misaki didn't understand...

" **Only after talking with some of your crew did I discover that chances are, any Juraian war ship that came upon it would just shoot first and ask questions later... In other words, you left their fate in the hands of your sides 'trigger-happy gunners'... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Misaki stared at her father as Kenchi continued...

" **He did it to protect YOU, as well as his crews... **"

Misaki threw her arms around her father, years in her eyes...

Father and Daughter hugged for a while, before returning to business...

Seina eyed Kenchi...

" **SO, was it that important, that you risked your life? **"

Kenchi had a sad smile as he nodded his head...

" **With luck, I pray that other members of the Royal Family managed to make it to the world I mentioned... **"

Seina sighed before replying...

" **And what about this 'safe' world of yours?... And what makes you so sure it's still safe?... **"

Kenchi smiled and touched the bracelet on his arm...

" **It's a secluded little place, we call - Avalon... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**( Some time later... )**

The two Juraian officers sat in their chairs, staring at the 3D image hovering above the table...

It was Kenchi's soft chuckling that brought them back down and Seina's remark...

" **IMPOSSABLE!... **"

He was pointing up at the slowly rotating 3D globe...

" **Some thing THAT big can't exist... No one could have built some thing as large as you say that is... **"

Kenchi couldn't help smiling, those had been almost his exact words when **HE** had learned about it...

A huge round sphere that had almost as much area ( land and water ), on it's inner surface, as the Masakian Stars worlds had total...

"** Oh, it exist, I can assure you... At-least it did twelve years ago when I was last there with the family... **"

The other two still stared at him...

Seina spoke up...

" **How could something so big, go - - - unnoticed?... **"

Kenchi had to chuckle, **THIS **was going to be the hard part...

" **Would you believe, it's just sitting there?... In sub-space?... **"

Both officers were again, staring at him, their eyes even wider...

It was Seina who found his voice first...

" **Are you trying to tell me that YOUR people were advanced to the point that they could build such a thing?... **"

Kenchi continued to smile, he'd asked his father a similar question...

" **Would you believe it was a present?... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**THAT** had been the exact same answer his father had given him when he had asked...

The two still stared at him, as if trying to see if he had 'Lost his mind'...

Kenchi took a deep breath before he continued...

"** As I was told - it was a present from the Goddess Tsunami to one of my great-grandfathers to show that she is looking over us... Or some thing like that... I was only about 8 at the time and had very little interest in history... Still don't... **"

Most of the civilized galaxy knew of and worshiped the Goddess Tsunami, in one form or another...

Not getting a reaction, he continued...

"** As I understand it, it was already several hundred thousand years old when we got it... And that the Goddess and her sisters had created it as a place where they could preform all types of experiments and such... I think they just got tired of it and decided to give it away.. **"

They continued to stare at him...

" **And don't ask how it manages to stay in sub-space, I haven't a clue... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Seina smiled as he looked at the 'young' male sitting across from him...

There was some thing he wanted to ask...

" **You're going to be one of those staying behind, aren't you?... **"

It hadn't been a question, just stating facts...

He saw the surprised look on his daughter's face...

Kenchi sighed...

" **The survivors are my people and their well being is my responsibility... **"

He looked at the female sitting across the table that he had lost his heart to...

" **If they stay, it's my duty, as the highest ranking member of the Royal Family to see that they remain safe... **"

Misaki reached across the table and took his hands...

" **Our duty!... "**

Seina chuckled and smiled...

" **I leave her in your hands, 'Boy'... **"

The same name he'd used when they had first met, so long ago...

" **Any thing else we need to discuss?... **"

Kenchi smiled...

" **Just that any unused material, ships, etc, will need to be sent into the sun, leaving as little trace behind that you were here as possible, other than your engine emissions leading away... And that just before you jump to sub-space, you make a short, wide-band, long-range broadcast for me!... **"

There was a question look on Seina's face...

"** It's a special coded message for any other Masaki Survivors, giving this world's location as a safe world... And with luck, others will be able to find their way here... **"

Seina realized that even if it were broken, it would also serve as a decoy...

He was beginning to see just how far this 'young' male would go for his people...

He hoped that some day **HIS** people would be more like the Masakians...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

Seina took a deep breath...

" **OK... So.. When we get to your 'safe' world, how do we get inside?... **"

Kenshi smiled, **THIS** had been the part he had remembered...

" **Do NOT approach the co-ordinance in sub-space!... **"

There was a Question on Seina's tongue and Kenchi spoke first...

" **The skin of the globe has some odd properties... The first is that it seems that sensors won't be able to detect it until you're within a few Kilometers of it...** "

He saw Seina's eyebrow go up...

" **The other is that it's skin is so strong, that ramming it with the **_**Black Star **_**would have the same effect as throwing an egg at the wall over there... **"

He pointed at the nearby wall...

" **Your best option is stop a short distance away, in normal space and broadcast a coded phrase on a short range frequency... This should get you some help with getting inside... I'll give you a special data crystal that will explain every thing... **"

Seina nodded his head before speaking...

" **And the code phrase?...** "

He smiled as he spoke...

" **For Pendragon, the Masaki Stars and Tsunami... **"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**To be continued...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

**Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...**

**. . . . . . . . . .**


End file.
